


Moving In

by outerealm



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Family, Fluff, Gen, mentions of everyone, team fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-03
Updated: 2012-05-03
Packaged: 2017-11-04 18:04:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/396679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outerealm/pseuds/outerealm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper made him do it. It's all her fault. </p>
<p>So why was it in the middle of paperwork did he realize that he has a family now?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving In

“I- Pepper? What’s this?” The dark haired man waved a paper in the general direction of the single, lone person in the room. Sharp, bright eyes looked up, glancing at the paper. Instantly a rather displeased look crossed her face.

“Tony, it’s your profits sheet. Have you not been paying attention to the reports I’ve been sending you?”

No, he hadn’t. He hadn’t at all. But still- “Of course I have been Pepper!” A snort indicated _her_ thoughts on that little statement. “But Bannertech? I don’t remember buying it. Unless it was one of my drunken buys?”

He strained to remember the last time he had woken up from blacking out from too much to drink… and realized with horror it hadn’t happened for at least a month. Alcohol may be the devil, but when exactly had he ever been _sober_? Never, ever. Except for this month. But why this month?

One perfect eyebrow rose as she waited out his minor panic attack patiently. “No Tony, it’s an offshoot of our company. A minor part.”

“It’s making up a good two percent of our profit!” It was only a few million bucks, but he knew very well it didn’t exist three months ago. True, the only reason _why_ he knew was because Pepper had made him look through the company papers like today. But Pepper didn't know that, so he still had the upper hand.

He squinted at the papers, mentally rearranging his mind, pushing the circuit boards to the side for now. Numbers began to line up instead, scrolling downwards adding and subtracting at lightning speed.

Bannertech… it sounded familiar somehow… he frowned at it, trying to jog his un-alcohol sodden mind into working. It protested, screaming for a drink.

_Nah, Steve will get that kicked puppy dog look._ His mind pouted. Then, it waited until he was taking a sip of his horrible de-caff coffee (Bruce’s coffee, mixed up with his) that Banner was Bruces last name.

Smugly and triumphantly it watched Tony choke on his drink. “P-Pepper, since when has Bruce been working for us?”

“Ever since he wanted to pay for his own damages.”

“Oh.”

“By the way, I put together a list of expenditures coming up to check to see if they are cleared.” Tony mutely held out his hand. Long fingers brushed against his hand, and papers exchanged hands.

The brief contact left a warm feeling in his stomach, a feeling he didn’t exactly know how to categorize. So he ignored it, like he had been for the past few months since he had joined the Avengers. Warm feeling felt good, but that didn't mean anything. Alcohol felt good as well, and Pepper was threatening to cut him off or send him to an AA meeting. 

_Concentrate you handsome little thing you. Think about ways to duck and dodge later._ The thought and feeling niggled at him as he turned his attention to the paper, squinting at the letters and numbers.

A shooting range. Clint needed it- it was too much trouble to have to go all the way to S.H.I.E.L.D. to test every single arrow that Tony created, and the gym just wasn’t equipped for it- besides, Steve normally took it over.

Ah yes, there it was, upgrades for training equipment, along with some real clothes for Steve. The man needed to relax some more and the famous debaucher would be happy to help. Heterosexually of course. Anyways, clothes. Equipment.

And then reinforcement for the walls, including soundproofing. If Tony was woken up one more time by Thor’s voice booming a happy good morning, on an entirely different floor, he was going to scream. And invent something designed to make Gods of Thunder shut up.

Huh, could that really be done?

Pepper cleared her throat authoritatively. Tony returned his attention to the papers, keeping an extra tab in his mind open for the idea. 

There were a few requests from the Black Widow. He wasn’t about to refuse her anything and get stabbed in the back. Again. No, he wasn’t at all angry about it. His lizard brain told him that would be a bad idea, she could sniff out fear and anger, it made her stronger.

There was some lab equipment requested from Bruce, and Tony was more then happy to give his lab-buddy it. Especially now that Bannertech was part of Stark Company. The couple million bucks were pocket change practically, but enough to cover charges for any Hulk damage.

Then there were a few television sets (Tony made a mental note to modify them to stand against Thor’s stray lightning bolts), some toys that Clint and Thor practically begged for, some stuff to make Steve go bright red from embarrassment, and really rare tea that Bruce had mentioned with a wistful look a few weeks ago…

And what was he _thinking_?

Pepper was buried in her own paperwork, as Tony leaned back, staring sightlessly at the sky. “Pepper. I’m buying them gifts.”

“Who, the other Avengers sir?”

“Yeah.” Pepper would sort this out. She’d assure him that it wasn’t anything soft about him-

“That’s what family does Tony.” She looked up with a curious softness in her eyes, one that he didn’t immediately recognize. “Family and friends.”

“I- I don’t know what to do with family Pepper. What if they’re like-“ He choked on the word Howard. He hurriedly substituted the words, his terrified mind shrieking at him. “What if I mess up?”

Pepper placed an arm on his shoulder, squeezing lightly, paperwork abandoned around them. “Then they’ll forgive you Tony. Just like I have. Just like real family does.”

Pepper stood, brushing imaginary dirt off her skirt. After all, no dirt would dare settle on her. She gathered the papers, and walked towards the door, pulling it open. Thor, holding a box of Poptarts wandered into the room, looking at him curiously. Solemnly, the God of Thunder offered him one. "You look down my friend."

Tony, just as solemnly, took it.

Clint came running into the room, ducking behind Thor, as Natasha and Steve were one step behind, Steve completely flustered, Natasha cold steel ready to kill. Bruce, a few steps behind them, completely calm and slightly amused, stopped Pepper at the doorway. His voice was low, but eyes danced in amusement.

Family. Huh.

Tony chewed on the poptart, as Steve shot him an adorably flustered look. Then, he grinned. If he was going to be putting up with them all, then he might as well get his moneys worth.

“Last one to the rec room for movie night has to make the popcorn!"


End file.
